James' Misguided Guide
by PuddleTook
Summary: An alternately light-hearted and serious story about James' failure to quell his feelings for Jesse.


**James' (Misguided) Guide to Getting over Your Partner**

by rocket jesse

Thanks to pedal for the fab beta.

**p r o l o g u e**

To put it delicately, sometimes Meowth is like getting poked in the eye while simultaneously being caught under a bird doing its business. Annoying and unintentionally offensive all at once. Jesse and James wouldn't trade him for anything, and they have done their best (which, admittedly, is nothing to write home about) to get used to his abrasive personality. His better moments more than make up for it. Plus, having a cat around is therapeutic. Jesse and James hesitate to use the word 'love' in any situation because neither had particularly happy childhoods, but if ever they used it, they both know they would bestow it upon Meowth.

Jesse is unabashedly self-centered, even self-obsessed. Somebody needs to be confident, otherwise the team would collapse on itself. Meowth and James draw on Jesse's arrogance, sometimes borrowing the trait for themselves to make everyone feel better. Never having taken psychology courses, James and Meowth consequently haven't wondered if maybe Jesse's vanity is actually a tragic self-hatred in disguise. Likewise, Jesse would probably find admitting anything of the sort to be a weakness, and therefore a dent in her perfect front.

James, on the other hand, is easier to like. If Jesse's personality indirectly infuses optimism into an otherwise failing lifestyle, James' good humor and endearing mental failings provide the team's engine and backbeat. He keeps them going every day and even gives them rhythm sometimes. Of course, upon saying anything – James isn't sure what, exactly, just that it happens – he knows Jesse might open up a can of whoop-ass on him. This makes Jesse feel better because she knows she's at least smarter than James. It makes James feel better because at least she's listening.

*

Today is, James has decided, the day to get over her. The best he could hope for is a masochistic relationship one shade shy of Jessebel, and in which he cares for Jesse eight hundred thousand times more than she cares for him. He has come to the conclusion that Jesse does not have feelings for him (he knew all along, he tries to tell himself), she just likes to exercise her flirtation muscle on him sometimes because he's the only human male around who's not a nose-picking preteen.

James has awoken with this resolution every day for at least three months.

The thing about love – if the author may be so bold as to use the L word – is that it grows exponentially. So while James has been trying to curb his feelings, they have actually been steadily increasing, a fact which he is choosing to ignore.

Jesse finds it difficult to transition from sleepy, cranky Jesse to strong, determined Jesse. Her dreams have been as abysmal as her waking life. Before she opens her eyes, all she can see is James pulling away, refusing to grab her even in terror, looking at her coldly over last night's campfire dinner. Her fears stem from these actions alone, for in conversation James has been normal (as well as the phrase 'normal' applies to James, anyway). With this evidence, Jesse has convinced herself that James not only has no current feelings for her, but that he never did, that she imagined it all, and that she may be a failure as a human being. She blames only herself, but wouldn't mind an apology for getting strung along.

Each of these droplets of misery are intended for Jesse's inner vault, and once she has swallowed them and sat up, she will lock them in and gulp down the key, just like she has nearly every day for the past three months.

Meowth has the benefit of not being inside this relationship and is free to observe impartially. Bias is unavoidable, though - some days he sides with James, some days with Jesse. He would never breach the subject out loud, however. It is far too complex, and since it usually has nothing to do with the day-to-day functioning of Team Rocket, even Meowth himself figures that there actually are some things better left unsaid.

**j a m e s**

"Did you eat ALL the soup?" Jesse asks in bone-deep exasperation. "You two morons mooched the miso and left nothing for me but squares of dried dashi?"

"We thought you already ate!" Meowth cries. "And anyway, at least you got some protein, there, just throw 'em in some boilin' water already."

James holds his tongue for a moment. He knew Jesse hadn't eaten and feels guilt so thick he's getting nauseous. He has to master it – she would have done the same to him.

"Ooh, I'll throw both of YOU in boiling water and eat you for protein!" Jesse grabs Meowth by the tail and holds him over the fire, which has a rather negative effect on Meowth's composure. "And what do you have to say for yourself, James?" she adds, glaring at him.

"You would have done the same to me?"

Jesse swings Meowth around a few times (it goes without saying that Meowth does not enjoy this treatment, but Meowth says it anyway) and, once he's gained momentum, Jesse launches Meowth at James. Both topple backwards over the log James had been sitting on. "Next time," they hear, "I get dibs on the fresh soup."

Is it James' imagination, or has Jesse been getting more irritable? Perhaps she has always been this touchy. But it seems worse when he intentionally does something to hurt her instead of doing it by accident. "I don't know why she's so angry," James says in a whisper (or, at least, in what he thinks is a whisper).

"Excuse me?" Jesse spits. "YOU don't know why I'm so angry? You, James, are honestly pretending you don't know?"

James, from behind the log, wiggles into a sitting position and idly tries to hide himself inside an empty Pokéball.

Meowth has caught Jesse's emphasis on James' guilt in particular and indignantly asks, "You knew she was gonna go hungry?" Meowth would never knowingly starve either of them.

"That's right, Meowth," Jesse growls. "Care to explain yourself, you pathetic excuse for a human being?"

Meowth leaves James alone behind the log to scan his possible exit routes. In reality, there are zero, because Jesse is right and she can run faster than James, anyway. He sucks in his last breath of free air and holds it for a while to check if asphyxiation would be better than what's coming. He gives up quickly and professes, "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" He resumes holding his breath.

"I'm not even close to forgiving you. If you cannot answer the simple question of why you ate my food, I swear I will make it impossible for you to have children."

"Uh, Jess," Meowth adds lightly, "James couldn't'a had kids anyway, seein' as how he's got no birthin' hips, if you know what I mean."

Jesse lets out a terrifying roar so high-pitched that James' ears ring.

"Heh heh, just tryin' ta lighten the mood…"

"Ooh, I'll lighten your mood!"

"No need! I'd better go collect firewood, look how low the fire is!" Meowth, James' last defense, rushes past him into the forest and disappears like a leaf on the wind.

The log he's leaning against shifts – James looks up and sees Jesse standing on it a bit to his left, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and teeth dripping blood (practically). "Well?" she says, in a way that nearly convinces James that he's just been poisoned somehow.

"I'm sorry?"

She jumps onto his stomach, causing him both external and internal problems. "Why? This is your last chance."

James feels a few tears leak out and fails to speak because his diaphragm is crushed. Jesse hops off, and oh! Sweet relief! He scrambles up to a standing position so no further jumping on body parts can possibly ensue. "I don't know!" he whines. "We were just so hungry, and Meowth has been looking so thin lately, and I thought you wouldn't." The lie is aborted the instant James realizes what he had been about to say. He rapidly covers with, "Maybe I could be your slave for a week to make up for it?"

"Don't you dare use Meowth as a cover. I don't care if you were hungry, we're always hungry, and now I'm hungrier than you can imagine!" Tears might also be leaking from Jesse's eyes, but it's hard to tell by the light of the campfire. "Is that seriously all you have to say for yourself?"

Perhaps she hadn't heard his offer. "Slave?"

Before he can blink, he hits the ground accompanied by further pain radiating from an area quite separate from his stomach. "Ouch," he expresses, just in case someone will hear him in this cruel world.

**j e s s e**

Jesse fumes enough to boil the soup herself, but she puts it on the fire for posterity's sake. Once she has bored holes in every surrounding tree with her eyes, she hears James rustle off into the forest. Good riddance. Maybe he'll get lost and starve.

The soup isn't boiling fast enough. Not that she could really call it 'soup.' It's flavored water. But does it ever smell good! Her anger subsides marginally, as there is no longer anyone present with whom she could be angry, and she will soon be eating, or rather drinking, dinner. She also feels better when she decides she will swipe James' breakfast out from under his nose in the morning. Maybe she'll steal some bacon, fry it up, even pretend to put some on his plate! How exciting.

Eventually, Jesse drinks all the soup, soothed by the broth and thoughts of revenge. She won't totally relax until said revenge has been exacted, but that's how revenge works. She lies down in her sleeping bag and savagely hopes nobody returns before she falls asleep.

Jesse's stomach growls as it realizes the trick that's just been played on it.

Why? Why would James do that to her?

She amends her earlier thought: she hopes Meowth returns before she falls asleep. But he doesn't.

**j a m e s**

Jesse's eyes slowly slip open, then shut. James and Meowth stare at her in happy anticipation, relying on the smells to do the trick. Her eyelids then disappear completely as she performs a sleepy double-take. "Food?" she squeaks.

"All for you," James answers.

"Am I dreaming?"

James considers saying yes and then kissing her, but unfortunately, the witness would rat him out.

"Nope!" Meowth answers. "Our humble apologies for eatin' all the miso. Dig in!"

Jesse slides out of her bag and sits on her heels in awe, staring at the pile, which includes, but is not limited to, drumsticks, pineapple, sushi, sashimi, tempura, rice, mochi, ice cream, and, of course, real miso. She hugs Meowth in unadulterated forgiveness, but merely smiles at James. "You don't need to tell me twice! Bon appétit!" And she begins.

James doesn't feel much better, though – he was at least expecting a hug like Meowth got. It's clear to him Jesse can tell that James is still head over heels for her because it was obviously his idea to get all this food and overcompensate for the miso incident. She is likely disgusted by James' infatuation. Probably also still upset about last night.

It was a nice smile, though. James decides that today will be the perfect day to get over her.

**j e s s e**

As they're climbing into the sub, James reaches out for Jesse's hand to help her inside. Jesse pays particular attention to this because it's the first time in ages that James has done it. Meowth hasn't dropped in yet, so Jesse bites the bullet and, still holding the proffered hand, says, "Listen: thank you, James. For breakfast."

Caught slightly off guard, James blushes and whips his hand out of Jesse's to rub the back of his head. "Oh, you're quite welcome," he replies, sounding unusually formal. "I knew the day would have been lost if I couldn't figure out how to make it up to you."

Jesse instantly drops her warm manner and points out, "So you only filched the food for me so we wouldn't lose a wink of work, huh?" She considers adding that she could give the food back to him because it's still fresh in her stomach, but Meowth calls out and lowers a couple of well-used water jugs into the sub, so Jesse restrains herself as she moves the jugs to the floor.

By the time she straightens up and looks at James again, his features have hardened. "What did you expect? I'm not here to answer your every beck and call, Jesse. I just knew you wouldn't work with me unless I filled your stomach."

She slaps him. "You've been a pretty pathetic excuse for a friend lately, James." As he recovers, Jesse takes the spare parts Meowth is lowering into the sub and sets them next to the water. "And last night I definitely heard you offer to be my slave. Twice. What's the deal?"

"Hey, I just remembered I forgot somethin' at the camp, I'll be right back!" Meowth shouts.

"Alright!" Jesse calls.

Still rubbing his cheek, James looks at her for a moment, softens, and takes a step closer. The obvious attention he is about to bestow upon her brightens her temper. He hasn't voluntarily come this close to her for some time, and the way he has to look downward slightly to meet her eyes brings back a thousand memories of the way he used to treat her, assuring her that she has not gone crazy, that those memories really do exist. "Sorry, Jess." He called her Jess! "I didn't mean to be a failure as a friend. I'll try to do a better job. It's just…. The thing is… I…"

She waits, but patience does not come naturally to her. After a few seconds, he has dropped his eyes, and she asks, "You're madly in love with me because of my radiant beauty and irresistible personality?" Of course it's a joke; if there's one thing these days that James doesn't feel it's love for Jesse.

The way his eyes widen as he snaps his gaze back up to her takes her breath away, and for a moment she is certain that somehow, hallelujah, she has hit the nail on the head. But then it becomes clear that his red cheeks are born from panic, and he thinks she's serious, and wants to run away very, very fast.

"It was a joke, James," she says in a monotone, wanting to turn away but unable. "Haha?"

"Oh, I knew that," he replies, so overconfidently that it's an obvious lie. "It's just." He sputters for about as much time as it takes for them to hear Meowth running back down the dock, at which point a cat-sized sleeping bag pops through the hatch and falls to the floor.

"Okay, I'm untyin' us!" Meowth calls.

Jesse is unwilling to let this confession escape. "Just a second, Meowth!" She grabs James' shoulders and stares him down. "You were saying what the matter is – why you've been acting so strangely. What is it?"

As he looks back at her, his eyebrows raise gradually until they're practically blasting off on their own. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"What's the hold up?" They hear from above.

"Know what, James?"

James snaps his gaping mouth shut and closes his eyes for a moment. "Jesse…"

She wonders if she could throw herself into an embrace in any possible way that could be misconstrued as platonic. "Spit it out."

All the fight goes out of him; she can feel it. His shoulders slump and he looks at her, and there's something so pathetic and sad about him. She tries so hard not to expect anything that she's certain her knuckles are turning white under her gloves. "I…" he tries again.

"Hey, can you hear me? What are we waitin' for? We got a schedule ta keep, people! This ain't no pleasure cruise!"

"Just wait, Meowth!" Jesse roars. Then, more gently, "James, please, you know you can trust me with anything. What is it?"

James stares at her dolefully, swallows so loudly she can hear it, opens his mouth, and she's positive this is going to be it. "I–"

Meowth jumps in and closes the hatch. "Jeez, get a room. Alright, I untied the sub so let's set sail already!"

"Meowth!" Jesse nearly screams, which is not a pleasant sound when the hatch is closed. "James was about to have a serious emotional break-through! Can't you wait for two minutes?"

"Too late now, and anyways, I saw the twerps sailin' past us, so I had ta untie us quick and jump in so they wouldn't spot me. As an added bonus, we don't even have ta look for 'em!" Meowth smiles at each of them proudly, apparently expecting them to shower him with praise for his marvelous work.

Jesse simply looks back to James, who seems to have been staring at her during Meowth's announcement. "Care to share the short version, at least?" she hopefully asks James.

He crushes her into a hug, and even though that's all the confession she gets, it's enough to satisfy her for now.

**j a m e s**

That very evening, James is hard at work at the top of a tree in total seclusion. If there's one thing he learned from yesterday, it's that he needs no help from Meowth.

As is often the case with James, he has misconceived his situation. Jesse suddenly bursts from a bough below in a familiar rage. She says nothing for a moment, but glares at James as she climbs the short distance to him. He hides his handiwork between his thighs and chest, but she grabs it from him before he can scramble away. His lunch might just scramble away from his stomach anyway. He then firmly resolves to stop thinking about the word 'scramble,' as it only adds to the nausea.

"It seems to me," Jesse begins in a voice as taut as her hair, "that you are deliberately slicing my sleeping bag up. But this couldn't possibly be the case." She throws the materials back at him, not bothering to pass the knife safely. It lands with a twang an inch from James' neck in the wood of the tree. "You felt remorse for stealing my food. If you felt bad for being a failure of a friend, why do this to me? Do you feel guilty n-?"

"Yes," James cuts in.

"Then why did you do it?" She leans against the trunk with her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. He might cry.

There's a long silence, during which James cannot pry his eyes away from his own hands in his lap. It would be terribly easy to list to one side and drop out of the tree. Or grab the knife and turn himself into inside-out man. Or even just throw up. Instead, he pops out a couple of tears, which is actually another suicide bid, because if Jesse sees them she will eat him alive.

"Why don't you just tell me to leave you alone?" she says, more quietly this time.

By the time he looks up, she's gone.

**j a m e s**

Just because Meowth and James have known Jesse for years doesn't mean they know where to look for her, or that they'll even be able to find her. She's been gone for hours and it's getting dark. As far as they know, she didn't take anything with her except her Pokémon.

James is too worried to stop moving. Since he realized she intended to leave the Team, he has been climbing, running, walking, talking, shouting and even, at one point, crossdressing. Meowth seems more concerned about James than Jesse, however, and has been trying to calm him down with the pretence of assisting in the search. So far they have no leads and no dinner. Meowth knows nothing about the sleeping bag or James' attempted confession in the sub.

Finally, in an act of desperation, and in spite of Meowth's protests, the two of them break into a radio tower. They manage to make it to the broadcasting booth without incident, then James invites Weezing to knock out the DJ and assistants.

Meowth hands James the microphone and winces, understandably.

"Hello," James begins. "This is James. Jesse, if you're listening, please come back. I know I don't deserve you, but that doesn't stop me from wanting you back."

Meowth, uncomfortable, starts to slink away. James chooses this moment, mid-speech, to grab his tail for moral support. Resigned, Meowth slumps to the floor and covers his face.

"You've only been gone a few hours, and already I'm a complete wreck. I can't imagine living without you for an entire day, and a week or a month would be unfathomable. Please, please come back. And… the reason I did those things to you… Jesse, it's because I was trying to get over you, but I don't think I can." James swallows. "I wanted to prove to myself that I could hurt you because that would mean I really didn't care for you anymore. But when I did hurt you, I felt like I wasn't worthy of living. I promise that if you come back, I will treat you like the princess you are, if you can stand to spend every day with a pathetic love-sick best friend."

James pauses, wondering if he should add anything more. "Jesse, you are the only reason I wake up in the morning." Meowth looks up, or rather, lowers his paws to his mouth instead of his eyes. James feels emboldened and continues in a hushed voice now, as these words are so private and earth-shattering that he feels like they might break him. "If it means anything coming from a low-life like me, you're my entire world. Without you, I don't think there would be any me."

As James stands up to leave, Meowth grabs the microphone and adds, "Jesse, if you're listening, we're at the radio tower just north of the center of the island." He looks for a long couple of seconds at James, who stares mournfully back. "And you'd better come back, 'cause James looks reeeeeally awful."

**j e s s e**

Jesse did not, in fact, hear this broadcast. She is scraping the last dregs out of a can of natto on the roof of a seven-story hotel. She has just finished watching the sunset and, upon finishing her natto, proceeds to lay out a new, stolen, sleeping bag.

Deep in grief, Jesse would welcome the company of Meowth. She ponders her chances at pilfering something to read, at least, to take her mind off the fact that she might never see James again. But the misery makes her weak, and it feels so nice to finally lie down after hours of running and walking.

"Hyaa!" Jesse hears. She blearily looks around, but sees nothing in the moonlight.

Moments later, the door bursts open and Misty, of all people, runs out. Tracey is at her side, Ash bringing up the rear with Pikachu.

Jesse mutters a four-letter word and reluctantly stands.

"Thanks, Staryu!" Misty calls, summoning it back into the Pokéball. "Jesse, I'm so glad we found you!"

"I'm having a nightmare," Jesse says practically. "I will wake up in the morning to a huge feast courtesy of James and Meowth. Oh, no, maybe that was part of the nightmare too."

"Don't worry," Tracey pleads. "Misty just had to tell you what she just heard on the radio!"

"Yeah, but I still don't get why we all had to come up here," Ash whines. "The elevators are broken!"

"Oh, grow up," Misty scolds Ash. "Anyway, Jesse, we're pretty sure it was James!"

Jesse closes her eyes, pinches herself, waits a second, then opens them, hoping to wake up.

"He pretty much said he's in love with you!!" Misty cries, clearly unable to contain herself any longer, neglecting to notice Jesse's depression. "He apologized for whatever he did, and he explained why, and oh, Jesse, you should have heard it! It was the sweetest thing I've ever heard in my life!" She swoons and allows Tracey to steady her.

"He explained why?" Jesse repeats, suddenly ravenous for information. "What did he say?"

"Oh…" Misty pronounces dreamily. "Well, I didn't quite understand that part, but he sounded really sorry."

"But you have to tell me exactly what he said," Jesse orders, with low expectations. "It's very important," she adds thoughtfully, because these twerps are a little slow on the uptake.

"Didn't you hear what I said? He's in love with you!" Misty recovers herself and settles her weight back on her own feet. "Don't you feel the same way? You have to go back to him, Jesse, and tell him!"

Jesse begins to bristle at being bossed around by a girl in suspenders with a ponytail above her left eyebrow. "Tell him what? Do you really think you know what's going on between us better than I do, when I'm clearly older, smarter, and prettier than you?"

"Hey, don't talk to Misty that way!" Tracey steps in. "She's trying to help you!"

Ash lifts his finger to his nostril, then seems to realize (with Pikachu's help) that he's not alone.

"I don't take orders from twerps," Jesse says. "Thanks for the information, now please leave."

Misty sighs in defeat. "Come on guys, let's go. I should have known we were wasting our time." She hugs Togepi to her chest and waits for Ash, Pikachu and Tracey to pass through the door before speaking again. "Meowth said they were waiting for you at the radio tower, just there." She points to the blinking structure. "And James loves you, I'm sure of it. I do remember one thing exactly… he said 'without you there would be no me.'" With that, she leaves.

**j a m e s**

Meowth and James, still unfed, sit around a campfire a few hundred meters north of the tower. The radio broadcast, Meowth is certain, was a waste of time because Jesse never listens to the radio. James remains convinced she heard it and that it will make her hate him even more. He is currently thinking about becoming an undertaker, which would make his inevitable suicide much easier.

"Aw, cheer up, James. No use cryin' over split partners."

"She wasn't just a partner, Meowth…"

"I know, I know, she was our Jesse."

No more can be said on the subject. For a while, they watch the fire in silence, listening to the pops in the wood and the animals rustling in the surrounding forest. Something large and perhaps vicious, like a Scyther, seems to be rummaging in the brush nearby. James puts his head down, wondering if it senses his despair, not wanting to watch the Scyther rush at him and start mincing his limbs.

"Jesse!" Meowth cries. Indeed, it is her and not a Scyther who has stepped out of the bushes, marvelously unharmed and almost glowing. "You're back!" While Meowth jumps into her arms for a hug, James successfully avoids wetting his pants.

"Hey, little furball, miss me?" she laughs. Happily. Check one for good signs.

"Oh man, we missed you so much that we skipped dinner! We wouldn't'a done that for just any old broad!"

During this exchange, James discovers that he cannot unglue his bottom from the rock to which he has affixed it. Instead of fighting it, he decides to wait "patiently" and "calmly" for Jesse to address him. In fact, he is so drawn to her right now – there's something about her face and her expression and possibly her scent – that he's glad he can't move. If he could, he would be thisclose to her.

"James."

"Jesse."

Oddly enough, his bottom is still affixed.

"Well?" Jesse's smile doesn't fade. Another good sign, but still not enough to pacify James.

"I'm so sorry! Want a new sleeping bag?"

Meowth sidles back to James' leg. "I think she heard it," he whispers without moving his mouth. James shakes his head slightly, unconvinced.

"I want an explanation. Tell me exactly why you digested my dinner, and why you sliced up my sleeping bag." Her eyes narrowed as she sat on a log opposite him. "Or I'm leaving again and I won't come back."

"Guess not," Meowth whispers. "Wait," he then exclaims, "what about her sleeping bag?"

"I…" James winces. "Sliced it up."

"The clock is ticking, mister." She seems to lean toward James and Meowth.

Meowth is clearly disgusted with James. "You are worse than I thought!"

Suddenly, it all comes to him. James will give Jesse her answers, then she'll kill him, and he won't have to worry anymore! Perfect. Flawless plan. "Jesse, I…" Why was it so much easier on the radio? Perhaps imminent death naturally induces anxiety. "I wanted to–"

"He took yer dinner," Meowth cuts in, stomping painfully on James' foot, "because he thought you would come to him for help. He planned on bringin' you that feast afterward, he thought it would make you happy, rescuin' you from hunger an' all that."

Not true, but James feels that it will eventually bring about the same fatal result. Yet Jesse seems alright with Meowth's answer, and doesn't appear angry.

"That explains the dinner. What about the sleeping bag?" Really, really doesn't look angry.

Meowth glares at James for a moment, an expression that implies James owes Meowth several favors and possibly money. "He ruined it so you'd think a wild Pokémon had gotten it, and – although it makes me a little sick to say this – he hoped you'd ask him if you could snuggle up in his sleepin' bag wit' him."

Jesse looks impressed. "James, is this true?"

Meowth digs his claws through James' boot. James nods obediently.

"Well, I'll go grab us some grub while you two catch up," Meowth calls, already bounding into the darkness. James feels a familiar pang as Meowth leaves them alone, as if James' brain was bouncing away just when he needed it most.

Jesse watches Meowth go as well, James notices, until well after he vanished from sight. James unwinds enough to feel it's safe to look at Jesse for a moment. He wishes he knew what to do.

"You're not saying much," she says finally.

"I don't know what to do," he blurts, making sure he at least says something. It might make her stay longer. "Will you stay?"

She turns her gaze on James, and something about her prompts James to add, "Please?" in an embarrassingly strangled half-whisper.

"You've been awful to me for months," Jesse says just as quietly, and the words seem to tear a wave of sadness through her.

Convincing her to stay may be over his head, but making her feel better is something he can wrap his head around. He jumps to her side and takes her hands, knowing it's too much and painfully aware that this moment has already done irreversible damage to his plan to get over her. She lets him hold her hands, though, and maintains eye contact. "Jesse, I was just trying to get over you. It wasn't working, but I was trying, because I knew you didn't want me that way. Can you blame me? You're too good for me, I know, but I can't help the way I feel." James reigns himself in – this approach could backfire. "Anyway, I'm sorry. That's why I acted like such a fool. I promise to treat you better, for real this time."

So slowly he almost doubts that it's happening, she smiles again. "So you haven't gotten over me?"

He considers lying. Heavily. But her hands tighten and his mouth forms a "No." Realizing what he's just said, he backpedals. "I mean, uh, I could keep trying!"

"But I thought you said you couldn't."

"I apologize for my failed attempts."

She continues to look at him and smile and grip his hands. It could be possible that she's trying to say something, but it takes her so long, and James doesn't mind just sitting here like this, pretending she wants him. He hasn't been this close to her for weeks, and all the tingles of his addiction to touching her are returning. There is no chance of James breaking contact – he is no longer strong-willed enough to do it. He wishes he could assume her body language meant something, but nothing is ever clear with Jesse.

"Why can't you get over me, might I ask?" she intones, very possibly leaning into him. He confirms that his right shoulder is touching her left.

"Why do you want to know?" he asks lamely, like a twelve-year-old. Although he's already alluded to it, the information in question feels volatile.

She mirrors a smirk he didn't even realize he was making. "Because I was having the same problem trying to get over you."

He hears these words, but refuses to believe them. They aren't direct enough to penetrate his barrier. "Why?"

"Hm!" she says happily. "James, will you do me a favor?"

Rejoicing at this change of subject, he shoots a question back at her in a brilliant show of remembering the whole point of this conversation at last. "Will it make you stay?"

She nods.

He nods back.

Her head travels toward his at a somewhat alarming rate, so he freezes like an Eevee in headlights. Her cheek presses against his, then he feels, more than hears, her voice in his ear. "Kiss me already, you crazy partner. I adore you."

His urge to off himself instantly vanishes. He doesn't think, he just does. It's the best instinct he's ever had.

After he kisses her, he whispers into her ear all the different ways that she is the center of his universe, and he finally feels loved.

**m i s t y**

A letter drops out of the sky, mysteriously floating to Misty as she walks along the trail with the rest of her company. She snatches it out of the air while managing to balance Togepi safely in her arms. "Huh, that's weird." Her name is written elegantly across the front.

They all look upwards, seeing nothing but trees. "Open it, Misty," Ash suggests, one of his sporadic, functional, human-like ideas.

"Tracey, could you please hold Togepi for a sec?" She hands it off and opens the envelope, then inspects the letter silently for a moment.

"What does it say?" Tracey inquires, trying to look over her shoulder. Ash attempts the same.

"It just says, 'Thanks, twerp,' with a heart. I think I know who it's from." She smiles at Tracey.

"Jesse," Tracey responds, for the benefit of Ash. "I guess your idea worked, Misty."

"You mean Jesse and James are… are…"

"Oh, Ash," Misty admonishes, taking Togepi back from Tracey. "Can't you just say the word 'together' or 'dating' or 'going out' just once?"

"Pika pi!"

"Pikachu gets it," Tracey observes.

"I'm a guy!" Ash says defensively. "I don't care about that mushy stuff, Pokémon are way more interesting."

Tracey rolls his eyes. "You should care, because I have a feeling Team Rocket is about to become really easy to live with for a while." He winks at Misty, who giggles and elbows him as they continue walking.


End file.
